Blepharitis is a disorder of the meibomian glands, which produce the lipid component of tear film. Both the upper and lower eye lids contain 30-40 glands, located beneath the skin. The glandular pores open just behind the base of the eye lashes on the eye lid margin. With blepharitis, the glands become inflamed and the pores become blocked. Symptoms of blepharitis include eye irritation, soreness, redness and an accumulation of matter on the eyelids. Patients may also experience dry eye as well. As a result of these symptoms, blepharitis is commonly misdiagnosed as conjunctivitis or dry eye.
In certain cases, a local androgen deficiency can cause blepharitis. Topical compositions containing an androgen would be desirable for the treatment of blepharitis.